Newton County Chief Assessor Tommy Knight will leave the job he's held for 18 years at week's end for a position with Gwinnett County.

He'll be the commercial assessor there, which sounds like a demotion but by no means actually is, he said.

"Gwinnett County's commercial (tax) digest is larger than the entire Newton digest," Knight said. He called it a "very, very interesting position."

Knight turned in his resignation Monday, July 28. He said he wasn't looking to move on. But when the job came open, he had to go for it.

"It was just an opportunity that came along," he said. "It's a mixed bag of emotions. The county's been very good for me. No complaints at all. ... It was just an opportunity that kind of came my way, an opportunity I want to explore."

Knight is a native of Rockdale County.